🔧 4Runner - Engine Oil and Oil Filter Change

This service drains the old engine oil, replaces the cartridge-style oil filter, and refills the engine with fresh oil. Regular oil changes protect your 4Runner’s 4.0L V6 from internal wear and sludge.

Difficulty Level: Beginner | Estimated Time: 1-1.5 hours

Oil specification: SAE 0W-20 full-synthetic engine oil meeting API SP or API SN standards. Capacity with filter replacement is approximately 6.6 US quarts (6.2 liters).

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Park on firm, level ground and allow hot exhaust components to cool before working underneath.
• ⚠️ Never work beneath your 4Runner when it is supported only by a floor jack.
• ⚠️ Wear safety glasses and oil-resistant gloves because warm oil can splash.
• ⚠️ Confirm the engine is off before reaching beneath the vehicle.
• ⚠️ Keep used oil away from children, animals, soil, and drains.
• ⚠️ Battery disconnection is not required.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• 12mm socket
• 14mm socket
• 3/8-inch-drive ratchet
• 3/8-inch-drive extension set
• 64mm 14-flute Toyota oil-filter housing socket (specialty)
• 3/8-inch-drive torque wrench rated 10-80 ft-lbs
• Oil-filter housing drain adapter (specialty)
• Engine-oil drain pan rated 10-quart minimum
• Engine-oil funnel
• Floor jack rated 3-ton minimum
• Jack stands rated 3-ton minimum
• Wheel chocks
• Trim-clip removal tool
• Shop towels
• Nitrile gloves
• Safety glasses

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• SAE 0W-20 full-synthetic engine oil - Qty: 7 US quarts or 7 liters
• Cartridge-style engine oil filter - Qty: 1
• Oil-filter housing large O-ring - Qty: 1
• Oil-filter housing drain-plug O-ring - Qty: 1
• Engine-oil drain-plug gasket - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• 📍 Park your 4Runner on level pavement, shift into Park, apply the parking brake, and chock both rear wheels.
• 🌡️ Run the engine for three to five minutes, then switch it off. Warm oil drains more completely, but it should not be painfully hot.
• 🛢️ Verify that the oil container states SAE 0W-20 and meets the required API standard.
• 🧰 Place every tool and part within reach before raising the vehicle.
• 📱 No infotainment-menu or scan-tool preparation is required.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Raise and Secure the Front

• Place the floor jack beneath the front-center frame crossmember and raise your 4Runner only as high as necessary.
• Position the 3-ton jack stands beneath the left and right front frame rails, then lower the vehicle onto them.
• Gently push the body to confirm it is stable before going underneath.
• A jack stand is a rigid support that safely holds the vehicle after lifting.

Step 2: Remove the Lower Access Panels

• Put on the safety glasses and nitrile gloves.
• Use the 12mm socket, extension, and ratchet to remove the bolts securing the necessary front skid plate and oil-service access panel.
• Use the trim-clip removal tool for any plastic retainers encountered.
• Support the skid plate with one hand while removing its last bolt because it is heavier than it looks.
• Arrange the hardware in removal order with the shop towels.
• Take a photo before removing mixed hardware.

Step 3: Open the Oil Filler

• Open the hood and remove the engine oil filler cap by hand.
• Pull the dipstick partly out by hand. This allows air into the crankcase while the oil drains.
• Keep the filler cap in a clean location.

Step 4: Drain the Engine Oil

• Position the 10-quart drain pan beneath the engine oil-pan drain plug.
• Use the 14mm socket and ratchet to loosen the drain plug. Finish removing it slowly by hand while pressing it toward the pan.
• Move your hand away quickly when the plug clears, then allow the oil to drain until it slows to occasional drops.
• Remove the old drain-plug gasket and wipe the plug with a shop towel.
• Install one new drain-plug gasket, with its flat face seated against the plug flange.
• Thread the drain plug in by hand to prevent cross-threading, which means damaging the threads by starting the plug crooked.
• Use the 14mm socket and torque wrench to tighten the drain plug to 40 Nm (30 ft-lbs).

Step 5: Drain the Oil-Filter Housing

• Move the drain pan beneath the cartridge-style oil-filter housing at the front underside of the engine.
• Use the 3/8-inch-drive ratchet to remove the small metal drain plug from the center of the filter-housing cap.
• Remove and discard the small O-ring from that plug.
• Press the oil-filter housing drain adapter straight into the housing opening. The adapter opens an internal valve so the housing drains without spilling as much oil.
• Allow the housing to drain, then remove the adapter.

Step 6: Remove the Oil-Filter Housing Cap

• Fit the 64mm 14-flute Toyota oil-filter housing socket fully onto the housing cap.
• Use the 3/8-inch-drive ratchet and extension to turn the cap counterclockwise.
• Do not use pliers or a universal claw wrench because the plastic housing can crack.
• Lower the housing cap carefully and remove the old filter cartridge by hand.
• Remove the old large O-ring with the trim-clip removal tool without scratching the housing.
• Confirm the old O-ring came from its groove near the cap’s threads, not from the very end of the cap.

Step 7: Install the New Filter and O-Rings

• Wipe the filter-housing cap clean with shop towels. Do not use abrasives.
• Coat the new large O-ring lightly with fresh 0W-20 oil using a gloved finger.
• Install the large O-ring in its proper groove near the housing-cap threads. Do not place it against the cap flange.
• Insert the new filter cartridge fully into the housing cap by hand.
• Thread the housing cap into the engine by hand until the O-ring seats.
• Use the 64mm 14-flute housing socket and torque wrench to tighten the cap to 25 Nm (18 ft-lbs).
• Lubricate the new small O-ring with fresh oil and install it on the center drain plug.
• Thread the center plug into the cap by hand, then use the 3/8-inch-drive torque wrench to tighten it to 13 Nm (10 ft-lbs).
• Oil the O-rings; never install them dry.

Step 8: Reinstall the Lower Panels

• Use shop towels to remove oil from the drain plug, filter housing, skid plate, and surrounding surfaces.
• Lift the access panel and skid plate into position, then start every fastener by hand.
• Use the 12mm socket, extension, and torque wrench to tighten the factory skid-plate bolts evenly to 29 Nm (21 ft-lbs).
• Use the trim-clip removal tool by hand to reinstall any reusable plastic retainers.

Step 9: Lower the Vehicle

• Use the floor jack to raise your 4Runner slightly off the jack stands.
• Remove both stands, then slowly lower the vehicle to level ground with the floor jack.
• Keep the drain pan underneath until the leak inspection is complete.

Step 10: Add Fresh Engine Oil

• Insert the engine-oil funnel into the oil-filler opening.
• Pour in approximately 6.0 US quarts (5.7 liters) of 0W-20 oil first.
• Remove the funnel and install the filler cap by hand until snug.
• Fully insert the dipstick, withdraw it, and wipe it clean with a shop towel.
• Reinsert the dipstick fully, withdraw it again, and check the level.
• Add oil gradually through the funnel until the level approaches the upper dipstick mark. Total capacity with the filter is approximately 6.6 US quarts (6.2 liters).
• Do not pour in the entire seventh quart or liter without checking the dipstick.

Step 11: Circulate the Oil and Check for Leaks

• Start the engine and verify that the red oil-pressure warning light turns off within a few seconds.
• Switch the engine off immediately if the warning light stays on.
• Let the engine idle for approximately 30 seconds while checking beneath it with the safety glasses and a flashlight-free visual inspection.
• Switch the engine off and wait at least five minutes for the oil to return to the oil pan.
• Use the dipstick and shop towel to recheck the level, then add small amounts through the funnel if needed.
• Keep the final level between the two dipstick marks and preferably near, but not above, the upper mark.

Step 12: Reset the Maintenance Reminder

• Use the trip-meter button to display Trip A.
• Turn the ignition completely off.
• Press and hold the trip-meter reset button.
• While holding the button, turn the ignition key to ON without starting the engine.
• Continue holding until the display counts down to zero and indicates the maintenance data has reset.
• Release the button, switch the ignition off, and restart the engine to confirm the reminder is cleared.
• This resets the service reminder only; it does not affect engine operation.

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✅ After Repair

• ✅ Inspect the drain plug and oil-filter housing for fresh oil after the engine has run.
• ✅ Check the dipstick again after the first drive and after parking on level ground for at least five minutes.
• ✅ Record the date and odometer reading. Toyota’s normal service interval is generally 10,000 miles or 12 months with 0W-20 oil, while severe use can require 5,000-mile or 6-month changes.
• ✅ Frequent short trips, dusty roads, extensive idling, towing, and low-speed off-road use qualify as severe operation.
• ♻️ Pour the used oil into a sealed container and take it with the used filter to an authorized recycling or collection facility in Sonīpat.
• 🚫 Never dispose of used oil in household drains, open ground, or regular rubbish.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: ₹7,000-₹12,000 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: ₹4,500-₹7,500 (parts only)

You Save: ₹2,500-₹4,500 by doing it yourself!

Independent labor rates around Sonīpat vary. This service usually takes a shop approximately 0.5-1 hour, with imported oil and filter pricing affecting the total.

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